


Christmas on the Run

by thirdsister



Category: Captain America (Movies), The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Christmas, Christmas Fluff, F/M, Fluff, Mistletoe, implied bucky/sam
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-25
Updated: 2018-12-25
Packaged: 2019-09-27 16:05:50
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 924
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17165030
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thirdsister/pseuds/thirdsister
Summary: Steve, Nat, Sam, and Bucky are spend Christmas trapped in an unusual Copenhagen snow storm.Set post Civil War pre Infinity War.





	Christmas on the Run

The mission was over. It had been an unequivocal success. One notorious extraterrestrial arms dealer giftwrapped and delivered to Interpol, no casualties. Sam had called it a Christmas miracle. The raging blizzard that had trapped them in the dingy Copenhagen safe house for the past three days, however, felt decidedly unmiraculous. 

Still, Steve Rogers would be damned if he let Christmas Day pass unmarked. Once he was sure Nat, Sam, and Bucky were fast asleep, he got to work hanging the value store garlands, bows and single string of lights he’d managed to purchase unnoticed the day before. It hadn’t been possible to sneak in an evergreen, so Steve taped a garland to the wall in a tree-shaped outline and placed the simple gift (a box of pastries for the team to share) beneath it. It wasn’t much, but it was cheerier than it had been. Once the halls were as decked as they were going to be, Steve collapsed on his uncomfortable mattress. 

He woke up to the smell of coffee and what sounded like Danish Christmas carols playing from the radio in the common area. He heard a scraping sound followed by Sam calling “watch yourself, Comrade, if you fall you’re going to bust your ass. I don’t plan on catching you.”

“By all means, leave the one armed man to put up the wreath by himself. Definitely don’t offer to help. It’s not like you have some sort of winged drone that could easily do this.” 

“Nope. Watching you try to do this might be my only entertainment for the day.”

Bucky stifled a smile. “Almoooost… there! OK, it’s officially Christmas”

Steve clapped slowly from the hallway. “Well done. It’s downright merry and bright in here.”

Nat slid a piping mug of coffee into his hand. He nodded a ‘thank you’ in her direction. 

“What do you say, Steve, should we let the boys open their gifts?” She raised her eyebrows over her mug.

“Well, for wanted, international fugitives, they have been pretty good this year. Why not?”

“YESSSS!” cheered Sam and Bucky in Unison. 

“Open mine first, it’s for everyone.” Bucky already had an almond filled pastry in his mouth before Steve finished the sentence. The gifts were simple, practical, but lovingly exchanged. With each tare of wrapping paper, their cold corner of the world filled with a little more light and laughter. Bucky had gotten everyone wooly reindeer socks. Sam had gotten Bucky an electric razor, “so you can finally get yourself a decent haircut, Man-bun.” Soon even the walls themselves seemed to be humming with happiness and there was one present left beneath the makeshift tree. 

It was easy to miss. A plain green envelope with an inscription in black pen. “To: Steve, From: Natasha.” She watched anxiously as Steve broke the seal and gently slip the item into his hand. It was a photograph taken a month ago in Wakanda. The four of them laughing so hard they couldn’t be bothered to look directly at the camera.

“It’s Shuri’s design. The paper is flexible, durable, and touch sensitive. Touch the bottom right corner and it’ll stick to just about anything, touch the upper left and it’ll come loose. So you can put it up wherever you are without having to worry about it getting destroyed.”

“So I can always have my family with me.” Steve took her hand gently. “It’s beautiful, Nat. Thank you.” 

Natasha grinned. She hadn’t realized how nervous she was until after he’d opened her gift. She almost never let herself be this vulnerable. Historically, it had not gone well for her when she had, but with Steve it was different. He was so kind and earnest, he had a way of boring through the walls she kept around her heart. It's why they worked so well together. Natasha and Steve were both incredible solo operatives, but as team they were unstoppable. Balanced. Completely in sync. “Thank Shuri when we get home, she did the work” 

“I definitely will.” 

There was a loud sniff from Sam’s direction. “I’m not crying. It’s just very dusty in here.” Bucky wordlessly handed him a sock to dry his eyes with. 

“Hey, Bucky can you help me with that thing in the kitchen?” Sam asked.

“What are you tal-ouch! Yes, the kitchen thing. Sure.” Bucky and Sam retreated to give Steve and Nat the illusion of privacy. They pretended to was dishes for a moment before peaking out to watch Nat and Steve. 

“$10 says he chickens out” whispered Bucky.

“You’re about make me $10 richer, Man-bun.”

“Natasha, I know even bringing this up is asking for trouble. I don’t want to jeopardize our partn-“ She put her finger on his lips. She lifted her eyes and Steve followed suit. He couldn’t help but laugh. In her left hand, dangling above their heads, was a small sprig of mistletoe. 

“I don’t want to complicate things either, but ‘tis the season” she shrugged. 

“Who am I to say no to a time honored holiday tradition?” 

He put one hand on her cheek and the other on the small of her back. Their lips met. She dropped the mistletoe. They pulled back for a moment before kissing again. Her hands wound into his hair, he pulled her closer. For a moment the wide world was small. It was only two people. Two people locked in a passionate embrace realizing what their friends had known all along. The moment ended with a cheer from the kitchen. 

“Ha HA! Pay UP, Barnes!”

**Author's Note:**

> Just a little silly Christmas fluff.
> 
> Happy Holidays!


End file.
